Electric-railway system



,--UNITED STATES. PATENT FFlCE.

EMIL llllR'lllOLl) WALTER REICIIEL, OF BERLIN, lERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THESIEMENS do llAISlIIC 'IIIJICTRIU COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF CHICAGO,lLl'iINOIS.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,837, dated January17, 1899.

Application filed Uctoher 3, 1398. Serial No. 692,539. (No model.)

To all, whom 2 may concern: rheostats (Z d ct". In this particularinstance Be it known that l, FMIL 'llERTHOLb \VAL- Ihave illustrated asupplemental contact-arn1 TER REICHE'L, a subject of the Emperor ofemechanicallyconnected with the controller- Germany, residing at Berlin,Germany, have arm of rheostat (Z, whereby the arm e is actu- 5 inventeda certain new and useful Improveated upon the actuation of saidcontroller- 5 5,

ment in Electric-Railway Systems, (Case No. rm. The arm e is preferablyinsulated from l68,) of which the following is a full, clear, thecontact-lever of the controller and en concise, and exact description.gages a segmental plate f and successively llly invention rclates'toelectric-railwaysyscontact-buttonsf f f". The contaet-buttol'is IOtents, and particularly to those systems in and the contact-platcfformterminals upon 60 which each train contains a plurality of 1110- the cara of conductors 1, 2, 3, and at, respector-cars, each motor-car beingattended by a tively. These conductors extend to the cars motorman. bl). Signals g g upon cars Z) Z) are con- My inven i-ion has for itsobject the provision nected between conductors 1 and 4, signals 7t 7t ofimproved means for guiding the assistant are connected betweenconductors 2 and 4, 65 motorm en in the operation of their controllers,and signals i 2" are connected between conducso that they may beinformed oi the condition tors 3' and .4. The signals are placed withinof use of the controller in charge of the chief sight of the assistantmotormen. Circuit is motorman upon the first car of the train. Theclosed successively through the signals as the assistant motormen arethus enabled to place switch-arm e is moved, the signals being suit- 0their controller-handles in positions similar ably designated toindicate to the assistant to that occupied by the controller-handlemamotormen the position of the controller-lever nipulated by the chiefmotorman. upon car a. The signals upon each car are The invention in itspreferred embodiment preferably grouped as shown in Fig. 2, whichcomprises a signal-circuit including a signal illustrates in plan View acircular face havupon each motor-car contained in the train ing threeopenings, preferably covered by in addition to the leading motor-car, aswitchground glass, behind which the signals, which arm mechanicallyconnected with the controlare preferably incandescent lamps, aredislcrhandle or lever operated by the chief moposed. These lamps aresuccessively lighted o torman being employed for governing the sigas thecontroller-lever upon the leading car nal circuit'. is rotated. Theassistant motorman changes I will explain my invention morepartieutheposit'on of his controller-lever upon the larly by referenceto the accompanying drawextinguishment of a lamp to the positioninings,whichillustrate one embodiment thereof. "dicated by the lamp nextcaused to glow.

5 Figure 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic Each group of signalsconstitutes an indicator view showing three motor-cars assembled forshowing the posit-ion of the controllerinto a single train, theapparatus of my inlever operated by the chief motor-man. vcntion beingdiagri'unmatically illustrated. If it is desired, supplemental audiblesig- Fig. 2 is a plan view of a set of signals pronals 7; It may beprovided upon the cars l) b.

0 vided for the use of each of the assistant 10- The number of signalsupon the motor-cars 9o tormen. may be varied, as desired. The conductorsLike letters and numerals refcrto like parts 1, 2, S, and :l are insectio1'is,whichare united in both views. between the cars by flexiblelinks 1 2 3 In the drawings I have illustrated a motor- 4; when theIllOtOFCztlSjtl'O assembled into a 45 train coi'nprisiug a leadingmotor-car u. and train. r two additional motor-cars l) h, each motor-The group of lamps located near each concar being provided with amotorand supplied troller to be within the presence of the mowithcurrent from a generator 0 in a welltorman operating the controllerconstitutes a known manner: Upon cars a h b are prograduated indicator,serving to inform the 50 vided suitable cmitro'llcrs, as the controllinginotorman of the position to which he should I00 move his controller,the switch operated by the chief inotorman constituting a graduatedmeans for operating the graduated indicator. Signals may be providednear that controller which serves to govern the signals upon theremaining cars; but they are not absolutely essential, as the signals orindicators are provided for the information of the motorinen upon therear motor-cars. It may be desirable, however, to provide the signalsupon the first motor-car in order that the motorman upon that car mayknow that the signaling-circuits are in proper working condition. I donot wish to be limited to the precise disposition of the signals hereinset forth.

It is obvious that other controlling devices than those hereindiagraminatically illustrated may be employed in governing the motor-circuits. Other arrangements 'of signal circuits and signalingapparatus may also be employed without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I do not therefore desire to be limited to the precise systemand apparatus shown; but,

Ilaving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In an electric railway system, thecombination with a plurality of motor-cars in a single train, ofmotor-controllers upon said ears, an indicator upon one of themotor-cars, and means governed by the motor-controller upon another carfor operating said indicator, substantially as described.

In an electric-railway system, the combination with a plurality ofmotor-cars in a single train, of motor-controllers upon said cars, asignal-circuit bet-ween the cars, an indicator upon one of themotor-cars in said circuit, and switching apparatus operated by the inotor-controller upon another car for governing the-saidsignaling-circuit, substantially as described.

In an electric-railway system, the combination with a plurality ofmotor-cars in a single train, of motor-controllers upon said 1 cars, aplurality of signals upon one of the cars, and means for operating saidsignals governed by the motor-controller upon another car, substantiallyas described.

4. In' an electric-railway system, the combination with a plurality ofmotor-cars in a single train, of motor-controllers upon said cars, aplurality of visual signals upon one of the cars, and means foroperating said signals governed by the motor-controller upon anothercar, substantially as described.

. 5. In an electric-railway system, the combination with a plurality ofmotor-cars in a single train, of motor-controllers upon said cars, aplurality of signal-circuits between the cars, a signal in each of saidcircuits located upon one of the cars, and a switch for successivelyopening and closing said circuits operated by the lever of themotor-controller upon another car, substantially as described. (i. In anelectric-railway system, the combination with a plurality of motor-carsin a single train, of motor-controllers, one upon each of saidmotor-cars; an indicator located near one motor-controllcr to be withinthe presence of the motorman operating the latter controller, and meansgoverned by another of said motor-controllers for operating saidindicator, substantially as described' 7. In an electric-railway system,the combination with a plurality of motor-cars in a single train, ofmotor-controllers, one upon each of said cars; a graduated indicatorlocated near one lllOtOl-COI1iilOllCl to be within the presence of themotorman operating the latter controller, and graduated means foroperating said graduated indicator, said means being governed by anotherof said motor-controllers, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day ofSeptember, A. 111898.

Witnesses:

C. II. DAY, XV. IIAI'P'I.

